Did the Sea Really Open? The Lisan Peninsula and the Dead Sea as a Possible Setting for the Exodus

This article proposes the Lisan Peninsula and the Dead Sea as a possible geographical setting for the biblical tradition of the crossing of the sea. The hypothesis considers the possibility that the Exodus narrative combined different historical memories, including the departure of the Hyksos from Egypt, the presence of Israel in Canaan under Egyptian influence, and the memory of a smaller group crossing toward Transjordan. Particular attention is given to the changing water levels of the Dead Sea and to the possibility that the Lisan area periodically formed a shallow or exposed passage that could later be covered by water. The study also examines the geographical location of Succoth and Etham, the terms Yam Suf/Sof, the relationship between Edom and the “Red Sea,” and the possible transformation of a natural event into a legendary narrative. The proposal is presented as a testable hypothesis rather than as a demonstrated reconstruction, and identifies archaeological, geological, geographical, and linguistic questions that require further specialist investigation.